Ore-separator.



No. 819,093. PATENTED MAY l, 1906. E. A. SPERRY.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.9,1905.

[NVE/WOR UMTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN A. SPERRY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO VYLIE G.l/VILSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed January 9. 1905. Serial No. 240,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States,residin(T at Denver, county of Denver, StateY of Oolorado, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Ore-separators; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is 'a vertical central section of an ore-separatorembodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the feed-hopper removed anda portion of the centrifugal distributer broken awa to disclose thevanes thereof.

Like symliols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates particularly to the separation of ores into theirconstituents and to their separation from gangue, and has for its objectto provide a simple and efficient device Which shall effect suchseparation by a dry process.

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in pulverizing theore to be operated upon and in such condition distributing it to anelectrostatically-charged or otherwise properly-energized body by meansof a rotary or centrifugal distributer, the trajectory of at least someof the centrifugall-y-projected particles being influenced by thecharged or energized body according to their different compositions.

Iwill now proceed to describe myinve'ntion more fully, so that othersskilled in the art -to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of i illustrating my invention,the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, A is a vertical shaftsecured in position by the bracket-bearing la and step-bearing 2a or inother suitable manner, said shaft being provided with a driving-pulley aor other desired means for causing a rotation thereof.` Attached to theupper end of the vertical shaft A in any suitable manner, as by beingsecured bv bolts 4a 4a to a collar or sleeve 3, carried by said shaft,is the centrifugal distributer B, by means of which the pulverized orfinely-comminuted ore Yis fed or projected over and through the field ofthe electrostaticallycharged body, 'as will hereinafter appear.

The rotary centrifugal distributer B isY preferably constructed of alower disk or table lband an upper or cover-disk 2b, said members 1b and2b. being attached to each other and secured 1n the desired spaced or-separated relation b y means of bolts orscrews passing through theinterposed vanes 3b or in any ot er suitable manner.

The lower disk or table member 1b of the centrifugal distributer B ispreferably a plane surface of circular form, having a centrallylocatedore-spreading projection b', which when the device is assembled liesbeneath the mouth of the feed-pipe E of the hopper G. The upper or coverdisk 2b of the distributer B is circular in form and is provided with acentral opening or feed-aperture b2 in vertical alinement with theore-spreading pro'ection b of the lower disk, said upper disk aving itsinterior or inner face kconed or dished, so that the distance or spacebetween such upper and lower disks gradually contracts from the centralfeed to the peripheral discharge, thus obviating any crowding or packingof the ore within the distributer.

As a means of centrifugally projecting or propelling thefinely-comminuted ore which 1s fed to the distributer B, as well as toprovide a means whereby the said upper and lower disks may be adjustedrelatively to vary the size of the peripheral opening between them, thevanes 3b are interposed between the said upper and lower disks, saidvanes being arranged substantially tangential to the circle on whichtheir inner ends terminate and fitting into corresponding grooves in theadjacent conical face of the up er disk 2b. The vanes and disks aresecured) in fixed position with respect to each other by means of thebolts or screws 1 1 and the set-screws 2 2, the latter having threadedengagement with the upper disk 2b and bearing upon the upper surfaces oftheir respective vanes, whereby the peripheral discharge-opening of thecentrifumiy be substituted.

lieu of the form of centrifugal distributer heretofore described othermeans of centrifugally distributing the pulverized ore may beemployed-8.5, for example, a single bowl-shaped member having acentrally-located spreading projection on the bottom IOO thereof andhaving conical upWard-lydiverging sides, the comminuted ore being fedinto the bowl from a feed-pipe above such spreading projection and beingdelivered over the upper edge thereof when such bowl is rotated.

Surrounding the centrifugal distributer B is, preferably, theelectrostatically-charged body ormember C, said member C beingpreferably in the form of a ring or annulus of soft iron or othersuitable material located adjacent to and sli htly above the dischargeslit or openin in t e periphery of such centrifugal distri uter, saidring or annulus C also preferably having a slight inclination downwardfrom its inner to its outer circumference. The annular late C ispreferably statically electrified by being connected with a source ofstatic electricity-as, for example, through the wire D.

Located above the centrifugal distributer B is the feed-hop er G, whichis preferably conical or pyrami al in form and to which at its apex isattached the `feed-pipe E, the lower end of which is in juxtaposition tothe feedopening b2 in the upper or cover disk 2b ofthe centrifugaldistributer B; but, if desired, the

feed-pipe E may be omitted and the commil of the hopper G, whereby thecone-plug F used in conjunction with the particular hopper shown may beraised or lowered to control the area of the opening of the hopper intothe feed-pipe E.

The construction being substantially'such as hereinbefore pointed out,the cone-plug F will be raised or lowered to regulate the su ply of oreto be fed to the centrifugal distri latter will be relatively adjustedby means f the bolts 1 1 and set-screws 2 2`to pro er v lverized orcomminuted ore s hop er G is fed from the attac e feed-pipe uter B andthe upper and lower disks of the graduate the Width of the periphera a.charge opening or slit between said d' i The centrifugal distributer Bhavi been caused to revolve by means of ow a lied to the vertical shaftA throng t pu eya thereon or in-other suitable mann r, the pul- E t oughthe feed-a erture b2 in the upper or cover disk 2b and eposited up n theorespreading rojection b of the lower disk or v table 1b o the saidcentrifugal distributer. .As the distributer B revolves the material fedthereto upon the ore-spreadin projection b. 1s projected orjo elledcentr' gally and discharged throug t e peripheral discharge- .I 'ed tothe opening of the said distributer in a thin sheet or stratum. Theparticles of the comminuted ore as they are projected from the center ofthe centrifugal distributer toward the periphery are electrified byinduction from the statically-charged annular plate C, so that as theyare projected from the discharge-slit in a sheetlor stratum they are atonce attracted to the electrified member C, along the surface of whichthe centrifugal force impels them until such time as the electricalcharge upon the particles is reversed, when an active repulsion of saidparticles from such staticallycharged member C is produced, and as theperiods between such attraction and repulsion vary with thedifferent-compositionof the particles acted u on said particles arerepulsed or thrown in ifferent lines and a separation of the differentmaterials is effected according to their varying com osition.

It is obvious that many modi cations may be made in the form andarrangement of the parts of my device and that the same 4may be employedin the separation of mixtures other than ore without departing from thescope of my invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is#

1. In an ore-separator, the combination with anelectrostatically-charged member,

adapted to alternately attract and repel the material operated u on, ofa centrifugal distributar', substantial y as and for the purposesspecified.

2. In an ore-separator, the combination` with anelectrostatically-charged annular .member adapted to alternately attractand repel the material operatedu on, of a centrlfugal distributer,substantia ly as and for the purposes specified. f 3. In anore-separator, the combination with an electrostatically chargedannularmember having an inclination from its inner to its outercircumference and adapted to alternately attract and repel the materialo erated upon, of a centrifugal distributer, su stantially as vand forthe p oses specified.

4; In an ore-separator, t e combination with anelectrostatically-charged member adapted to alternately attractand repelthe vmaterial operated upon, of a centrifugal distributer' comprised ofa plurality of disks the distance 'between which gradual] contracts fromtheir centers to their perip eries, substantially as and for thepurposes Vs ecifled.

5. In an ore-separator, the com inaton with `anelectrostatically-charged member .l adapted to alternatelyattractl andrepel the IIO material operated upon, of a centrifugal distributerhaving a peripheral discharge-opening, and means for varying' the areaof such discharge-opening, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

6. In an ore-separator, the combination with anelectrostatically-charged member adapted to alternately attract andrepel the` material operated upon, of a centrifugal distributercomprised of a plurality of disks and vanes interposed between saiddisks, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In an ore-separator, the combination with an electrostaticallychargedmember adapted to alternately attract and repel the material operatedupon, of a centrifugal distributer comprised of a lower disk and anupper disk having a feed-aperture located centrally thereof and havinits inner face coned, substantially as and fort epurposess ecified.

8. In an ore-separator, the com ination with an electrostaticallychargedmember adapted to alternately attract and repel the material operatedupon, of a centrifugal distributer comprised of a lower disk and anupper disk having a feed-aperture located centrally thereof and havingits inner face coned, and means for adjusting the distance between thesaid disks, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In an ore-separator, the combination with anelectrostatically-charged member adapted to alternately attract andrepel the material operated upon, of a centrifugal distributer comprisedof a lower disk having an ore-spreading rejection and an upper diskhaving a fee i) aperture located centrally thereof and having its innerface coned, and means for regulating the quantity of material 10. In anore-separator, the combination with an annular member adapted to beelectrostatically charged to alternately attract and repel the materialoperated upon, ofa centrifugal distributer comprised of a lower disk, anu per disk and vanes interposed between sai disks, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

11. In an ore-separator, the combination with an annular member locatedadjacent to and circumscribing a centrifugal distributer, of acentrifugal distributer having a peripheral discharge-opening, and meansfor varying the area of such discharge-opening, substantially as and forthe purposes s ecified.

12. In an ore-separator, the com ination with an annular member locatedadjacent to and circumscribing a centrifugal distributer, of acentrifugal distributer comprised of a lower disk having anore-spreading projection and an up er disk having a feed-aperturelocated central y thereof and having its inner face coned, said upperdisk and said lower disk havin vanes inter osed between them,substantialy as and for t e purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature` in presence of two witnesses,this 4t day of January, 1905.

' EDWIN A. SPERRY. Witnesses:

FRANK S. CARD, WILLIAM L. CARD.

